Chris Lombardi puts defense and security under the spotlight, as he shares his takes on recent NATO and EU cooperation and provides insight into the company’s own long-term strategic partnerships in Europe.

Three trends are currently driving the global electricity sector: decarbonization, decentralization and differentiation. Utilities are making significant contributions to mitigate carbon emissions, while a technology revolution is …

Society is going through a transformation the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Industrial Revolution. The rapid pace of change has created much anxiety across the world, as evidenced by this year’s political developments.

At the same time, the digital transformation of society is presenting new opportunities to make the world a less scary and more comfortable place. It is innovators who are most tuned in to the possibilities, rather than the perils, of this new world.

In fact, according to this year’s Global Innovation Barometer — an annual survey conducted by GE — a majority of business leaders and citizens (68 percent and 64 percent respectively) say they are feeling optimistic about the so-called “fourth industrial revolution”.

The drive to grasp this opportunity is there, but there is still much anxiety. Just 24 percent, of executives say they themselves are quickly adapting to emerging technologies, and 81 percent are concerned about “digital Darwinism” — the idea that companies which don’t adapt quickly enough will die out.

People are at a crossroads: Do we run from the digital revolution, or embrace it?

One solution is open innovation events that bring people together to see the potential of the digital world.

Last week, GE gathered innovators from across Europe at a GE Garages event in Brussels. These pop-up events, which take place across the world, allow participants to explore the next frontier of physical and digital innovations.

“Policymakers should create a framework to prepare an environment that can connect young entrepreneurs with real business opportunities.” Beata Stelmach, GE CEO of Poland and the Baltics

Speaking to Ideas Factory at the sidelines of the event, Beata Stelmach, GE CEO of Poland and the Baltics, said business leaders and policymakers needed to make people feel excited about the changes in the air, rather than afraid of them.

“The world today looks different than it looked 10 years ago,” she said. “Policymakers should create a framework to prepare an environment that can connect young entrepreneurs with real business opportunities.”

Removing the fear factor

So how can business leaders encourage people to see the digital revolution as something to be embraced rather than feared? It’s a tough challenge. After all, the innovators at the GE Garages events are in a perfect place to benefit from the opportunities. They are well educated and have an idea (maybe even two). What about the people who feel that the globalization driven by digitization is passing them by?

“The worries of people come down to everyday life,” said Kaja Kallas, a Liberal Estonian MEP who was also attending the Garages event. “They want something to do, and something to work for. If they don’t have that, they start to have anxieties and fears.”

She said that innovation in a changing world can help relieve those anxieties, and Europe is well positioned to offer those opportunities.

“It’s very important for us to focus on our strengths, because too often Europeans talk about areas where we are lagging behind,” said Kallas. “But there are many fields where Europe is leading, like in engineering. We have to create a framework where these people stay here and develop their ideas here.”

National best practice

So which countries are doing the best job at supporting the innovation that can make people excited about the digital future, rather than afraid of it? Over the past few weeks, Ideas Factory ran a survey of its readers and the GE community to determine who is in the lead, and which policies are working the best.

Germany, Sweden and the U.K. came out on top for having policies in place to encourage their citizens to innovate. France came out worst of the possible countries listed, while Ireland and the Netherlands were in the middle.

“A lot of the political disruption that we’re seeing is probably also a consequence of business disruption and shocks on the labor market from trade.” Hendrik Bourgeois, vice president for European affairs at GE

Reducing bureaucracy was identified as the most important thing these countries can do to encourage innovation, followed by encouraging more collaboration between players. Open access to technology was not identified as a high priority for respondents.

These findings match those of this year’s Global Innovation Barometer, which found that only 30 percent think governments should be the driving force behind innovation. Instead, respondents said they wanted governments to create the conditions to encourage creativity. Only 12 percent said they think their government is doing this currently.

Hendrik Bourgeois, vice president for European affairs at GE, said he believed that current governments’ policies are not doing enough to encourage citizens to get involved in the digital transformation. Instead, too many people see the digital revolution as something that does not involve them, or something that is beyond their control.

“My sense is that a lot of the political disruption that we’re seeing is probably also a consequence of business disruption and shocks on the labor market from trade, and from technological introductions, so I think it’s extremely important to address those issues,” he said. “And I think businesses are particularly well placed to advise policymakers on what works and what doesn’t work.”

As society moves forward in this new digital world, governments and businesses know that they have to do more to make citizens feel like they’re part of the transition. It is likely that some countries will do that better than others.